January 22, 2008
The 20th-ranked Texas A&M women?â„¢s basketball team (13-5, 1-3) travels north once again for a Wednesday, Jan. 23 midweek matchup at Nebraska (14-4, 3-1) in Lincoln, Neb. Tipoff between the Aggies and Cornhuskers is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be televised regionally on Fox Sports Midwest. A&M will look to turn the corner and try to salvage a season of high expectations for the defending Big 12 Conference champions. The Big 12 North has become treacherous territory as Big 12 South schools have combined for just a 2-3 record on the road in the north. Last week, the Aggies went 1-1 through conference play with its first league victory at No. 25 Colorado (72-68) on Jan. 16. Nebraska is one of only three league schools to remain undefeated at home this season with a perfect 10-0 record at the Devaney Center. The home-court advantage may play in favor of the Huskers as the Aggies have only won once in Lincoln in 2006. Three of A&M?â„¢s five losses of the season have come against top 25 competition including a recent 61-58 loss to No. 18 Oklahoma State on Jan. 19 in College Station. With a veteran cast of all-conference players and up-and-coming underclassmen, the Aggies are out to prove why they were picked as a preseason top 10 team in the nation and preseason favorite to repeat as league champions.
THE CORNHUSKERS AT A GLANCE
Nebraska is one of the main reasons the Big 12 North has a firm grip in the early leg of the conference race. The Cornhuskers have won five out of their last six games pulling off a recent 82-72 victory at Iowa State on Jan. 19. They previously opened up the Big 12 season with a 56-45 upset of then No. 15-ranked Texas on Jan. 9. The Huskers are 1-2 this season versus top 25 opponents with losses to Ohio State and Oklahoma. Last season, Nebraska advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in seven years and posted a 22-10 overall record under sixth-year head coach Connie Yori. The Creighton graduate has transformed NU into a top contender in the league this season with a roster filled with talent spanning from two countries (Canada and France) and seven states outside of Cornhusker Land. Three players are averaging double figures including top returners Kelsey Griffin (12.1) and Danielle Page (12.0). Individually, Page ranks 15th nationally in blocked shots per game (2.6), while the Huskers rank 14th nationally in field-goal percentage shooting 46.6 percent from the floor.
MORE AIR TIME FOR THE AGGIES
A&M will appear on television a school-record eight times during the 2007-08 season including Wednesday?â„¢s road tilt at Nebraska which will be broadcast regionally on Fox Sports Midwest. Greg Sharpe (play-by-play) and Brenda VanLengen (color analyst) will call the action live from the Devaney Center. FSN Midwest can be viewed outside of the states of Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri on DirecTV Channel 648 and Dish Network 447. The game will also be available via a live webcast on Aggies All-Access at www.AggieAthletics.com.
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
TEXAS A&M
No. Name (2007-08 Stats)
#10 A?â„¢Quonesia Franklin, G, 5-3, Sr. (8.4 ppg, 4.9 apg)
#3 Takia Starks, G, 5-8, Jr. (17.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg)
#55 Danielle Gant, G/F, 5-11, Jr. (14.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg)
#24 Patrice Reado, F, 6-0, Sr. (8.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg)
#12 La Toya Micheaux, C, 6-3, Jr. (4.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg)
NEBRASKA
No. Name (2007-08 Stats)
#24 Dominique Kelley, G, 5-7, Fr. (6.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg)
#32 Tay Hester, G, 5-10, Jr. (7.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
#22 Yvonne Turner, G, 5-8, So. (7.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg)
#23 Kelsey Griffin, F, 6-2, Jr. (12.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg)
#52 Danielle Page, F, 6-2, Sr. (12.0 ppg, 7.1 rpg)
SERIES HISTORY
Nebraska leads 12-6 in the all-time series between the two schools. In their last meeting on the hardwood, the Aggies and Huskers were both ranked in the national polls as A&M pulled off its fifth-ever win over NU in 17 tries. A&M holds a three-game stronghold in the series including a 73-64 victory in the 2006 Big 12 Championship quarterfinals in Dallas and the Aggies?â„¢ first-ever win in Lincoln (69-50) on Feb. 11, 2006. NU?â„¢s last win in the series was a 73-59 victory on Feb. 16, 2005 in College Station. A&M is 1-6 all-time when playing on the road at Nebraska.
NEBRASKA FLASHBACK
Morenike Atunrase scored 19 points, including two big free throws with 18 seconds left as No. 21 Texas A&M beat No. 25 Nebraska, 66-65, on Jan. 24, 2007 at Reed Arena. Atunrase?â„¢s free throws gave the Aggies a four-point lead that Nebraska immediately closed to 66-65 on a three-pointer by Kiera Hardy with 14 seconds left. Takia Starks missed two free throws after being fouled when the Aggies inbounded the ball, but Hardy missed a jumper at the last second to spoil the Cornhuskers?â„¢ final chance. A?â„¢Quonesia Franklin led the Aggies with 21 points and Danielle Gant added 11. La Toya Micheaux led A&M in rebounding with a career-high tying 11. Hardy and Kelsey Griffin led Nebraska with 16 points apiece. Chelsea Aubry added 12 points, while Griffin led the Huskers with 10 rebounds. Nebraska led 30-26 after the first half. They later pushed their lead to seven points at 16:28, but the Aggies went on a 9-4 run to tie the game at 11:10. The Aggies then pushed the lead to eight at 5:38 on a three-pointer by Atunrase. The Aggies improved from 29 percent field-goal shooting in the first half to 47 percent in the second. For the game, they shot 37 percent to the Huskers?â„¢ 34 percent.
DID YOU KNOW?
?* Head coach Gary Blair is 3-2 all-time versus Nebraska in his 23 years as a Division I head coach with all five meetings occurring at Texas A&M. He joined the Aggies for the 2003-04 season, a year after Nebraska head coach Connie Yori took over the Husker program in 2002-03. Blair and Yori are one of six Big 12 coaches to have five or more years experience in the league. She is one win away from her 100th career victory at Nebraska, Blair is 14 shy of the same career milestone (86) at A&M.
?* Three of the league?â„¢s five preseason All-Big 12 Team players will be on hand in Wednesday night?â„¢s contest in Texas A&M?â„¢s Takia Starks and A?â„¢Quonesia Franklin and Nebraska?â„¢s Kelsey Griffin. Starks is averaging a team-leading 17.3 points per game, while Griffin is averaging 12.1 ppg. All three were first-team selections a year ago by the league?â„¢s head coaches.
?* Texas A&M continues to make its mark as a basketball powerhouse as one of only six schools in the country to have both its men?â„¢s and women?â„¢s basketball teams ranked in the top 25 polls. The Aggie women are ranked No. 20 and No. 21, while the Aggie men are ranked No. 16 and No. 18. A&M is among the likes of traditional basketball powers North Carolina, Duke, Tennessee, Stanford and Baylor.
?* The Aggies will have played five out of their six Big 12 North foes in the month of January with a two-game road swing at Nebraska on Jan. 23 in Lincoln, Neb., and Kansas on Jan. 26 in Lawrence, Kan. A&M will close out the month with a home date scheduled versus Missouri on Jan. 29. Last season, A&M went 4-2 against the Big 12 North and 9-1 in the Big 12 South.
TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
A total of six games this season have been decided by five points or less including A&M?â„¢s last three consecutive Big 12 contests. The Aggies are 3-3 in games decided under five points with victories against SMU (+5) on Nov. 9, No. 14 Auburn (+2) on Dec. 15 and No. 25 Colorado (+4) on Jan. 16. A&M?â„¢s three losses in those six contests have been won by the opposition on last-second three-pointers at No. 22 George Washington (-1) on Dec. 20, at No. 8 Baylor (-3) on Jan. 12 and No. 18 Oklahoma State (-3) on Jan. 19.
AQUA FINESSE
Senior point guard A?â„¢Quonesia Franklin (Tyler, Texas) is returning to the Aqua of old having dished out 16 assists with just two turnovers in her last two Big 12 outings. Franklin played 37 minutes distributing a career-high 12 assists and two of the team?â„¢s season-low 11 turnovers against No. 18 Oklahoma State on Jan. 19. She also registered 14 points versus the Cowgirls to mark her fourth career double-double and sixth career double-digit assist game. Franklin is 27 points away from reaching the 1,000 career-point plateau (973) and 12 assists shy of her fourth-straight 100-assist season (88). She currently ranks third among Big 12 assists leaders (4.8 avg) and fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.98) through all games played.
AROUND THE BIG 12
Three Big 12 teams have taken the early lead with an unblemished 4-0 mark in conference play after week 2. Baylor, Oklahoma State and Kansas State, all of whom the Aggies have played in their first four games, lead the pack followed by Nebraska and Oklahoma who are fourth and fifth respectively in the latest league standings. A&M is currently in a six-way tie for sixth with Texas, Texas Tech, Colorado, Iowa State and Missouri with 1-3 records in league play. Kansas is the only Big 12 school still searching for its first conference win.
BIG 12 CONFERENCE STANDINGS
1T. Baylor (16-1, 4-0)
1T. Oklahoma State (16-1, 4-0)
1T. Kansas State (12-5, 4-0)
4. Nebraska (14-4, 3-1)
5. Oklahoma (11-3, 2-2)
6T. Texas (13-5, 1-3)
6T. Texas A&M (13-5, 1-3)
6T. Texas Tech (13-5, 1-3)
6T. Colorado (12-5, 1-3)
6T. Iowa State (12-5, 1-3)
6T. Missouri (8-9, 1-3)
12. Kansas (11-6, 0-4)
AGGIES IN THE RPI
Texas A&M is currently rated No. 14 in the latest RPI index according to CollegeRPI.com as of Jan. 20. The Aggies boasts the nation?â„¢s eighth toughest schedule with 15 of their opponents advancing to postseason play a year ago including Nebraska (No. 18) who lost in the NCAA First Round to Temple. A&M also faces Kansas (No. 22) and Missouri (No. 98) to wrap-up the month of January. With the strength of the league from top-to-bottom, ESPN.com bracketologist Charlie Creme also predicts that the Big 12 could send an unprecedented nine teams to the Big Dance in March. In fact, the Big 12 is rated as the No. 1 conference in the country by the Jeff Sagarin/CBN Women?â„¢s College Basketball Ratings index.
THE NEBRASKA PIPELINE
Ever since his arrival in Aggieland in 2003, Texas A&M Director of Athletics Bill Byrne has dedicated himself to Building Champions at the university. He came to College Station by way of Nebraska where his Husker teams compiled an extremely impressive string of seven-straight top 25 finishes in the Directors?â„¢ Cup Division I-A standings, making him one of the most admired and respected athletic directors in the country. The landmark 2006-07 school year saw the Aggies win a conference-high seven Big 12 championships including the women?â„¢s basketball team?â„¢s first-ever conference title in 2007. Fourteen varsity teams also produced top 25 national finishes. Byrne is not the only Nebraska connection among the athletic department?â„¢s senior staff. Senior associate athletic director for external operations Jeff Schmahl and associate athletic director for football Tim Cassidy are both Nebraska natives and worked under Byrne in Lincoln and College Station.
OKLAHOMA STATE RECAP
A three-pointer by Andrea Riley with 6.6 seconds remaining in regulation kept No. 18 Oklahoma State undefeated in Big 12 Conference play as the Cowgirls converted their final 12 points to get past No. 16 Texas A&M, 61-58, on Jan. 19 at Reed Arena. OSU snapped a seven-game losing skid in the all-time series with its star point guard?â„¢s 29-point outburst on 5-of-12 shooting from long range including the game-winning shot. It continued a pattern of last-second heroics in the OSU versus A&M series. The Cowgirls avenged two losses that were decided by two points or less and not in their favor a year ago. Four players scored in double figures including a team-high 16 points from junior Takia Starks who played limited minutes in the first half after being called for two quick fouls with under 15 minutes to go. She scored only six of her total points before the break and later shot the lights out going 4-of-6 in the opening minutes of the second half of play. Senior Patrice Reado got the A&M offense rolling in the opening minutes of the game and finished with 13 points and two steals. Senior A?â„¢Quonesia Franklin recorded her fourth career double-double with a career-high 12 assists and 14 points. Her three-point attempt at the buzzer fell short of sending the game into overtime. Meanwhile, junior Danielle Gant had a productive game across the board with 10 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots. Oklahoma State cut A&M?â„¢s nine-point lead, its largest of the game, in the last six minutes of play with a three-pointer by Danielle Green, jumper by Riley and four makes from the charity stripe. Green was the only other Cowgirl player to reach double figures with 14. She had eight of the team?â„¢s 48 rebounds which marked an opponent season-high.
AGGIES ON THE RADIO
All Texas A&M women?â„¢s basketball games can be heard via a radio broadcast on the Texas A&M Sports Network. Play-by-play announcer Tom Turbiville will call the action live from the Devaney Center alongside Katy Pounds on KZNE 1150 AM. A live audio feed will also be available on www.AggieAthletics.com.
ON NATIONAL SCENE
A&M dropped two spots to No. 21 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 Poll released on Monday and moved four spots to No. 20 in the latest USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches Top 25 Poll released on Tuesday. The Aggies have appeared a program-best 37-straight weeks in the AP Poll and 32-straight weeks in the Coaches Poll since the 2005-06 season. A&M is one of five Big 12 schools to be ranked in the national polls next to No. 6/6 Baylor, No. 11/11 Oklahoma, No. 14/13 Oklahoma State and No. 22 Kansas State.
ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP 25 POLL
1. Connecticut (17-0)
2. Tennessee (16-1)
3. North Carolina (17-1)
4. Maryland (22-1)
5. Rutgers (15-2)
6. Baylor (16-1)
7. Stanford (16-3)
8. California (17-2)
9. LSU (14-3)
10. Duke (14-4)
11. Oklahoma (11-4)
12. West Virginia (14-3)
13. Old Dominion (14-3)
14. Oklahoma State (16-1)
15. Ohio State (15-3)
16. Notre Dame (15-3)
17. Georgia (15-3)
18. Wyoming (16-1)
19. Pittsburgh (14-3)
20. George Washington (14-4)
21. Texas A&M (13-5)
22. Kansas State (12-5)
23. Georgia Tech (16-3)
24. Syracuse (15-3)
25. Auburn (13-5)
USA TODAY/ESPN COACHES TOP 25 POLL
1. Connecticut (18-0)
2. Tennessee (16-1)
3. Maryland (22-1)
4. North Carolina (17-2)
5. Rutgers (15-2)
6. Baylor (16-1)
7. Stanford (16-3)
8. California (17-2)
9. LSU (14-3)
10. Duke (14-4)
11. Oklahoma (11-4)
12. West Virginia (14-3)
13. Oklahoma State (16-1)
14. Georgia (15-3)
15. Ohio State (15-3)
16. Notre Dame (15-3)
17. George Washington (14-4)
18. Old Dominion (14-3)
19. Wyoming (16-1)
20. Texas A&M (13-5)
21. Pittsburgh (14-3)
22. Auburn (13-5)
23. Georgia Tech (16-3)
24. Syracuse (15-3)
25. DePaul (13-4)